Bale pack tie down



July 14, 1970 c. B. BLAIR BALE PACK TIE DOWN Filed June 11. 1968 INVENTOR. CALVIN B. BLAIR ATTORNEYS United States Patent US. Cl. 280179 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bale pack tie down, for installation on a fiat bed vehicle adapted for transporting a plurality of spaced stacks of bales, has a plurality of bale binder lines attached to opposed ends of the vehicle bed. The tie down includes an adjustable frame having crank structures for winding tie down ropes each attached to a pulley adapted to engage a respective bale binder line. The tie down frame is adjusted to the vehicle bed and mounted thereon between adjacent stacks of bales. Tension is adjusted and maintained in the respective bale binder lines by drawing the respective lines, by means of the tie down ropes, into the space between the stacks of bales.

Heretofore bales placed on flat bed vehicles tended to shift and even fall off when the vehicles traveled across rough fields and at high hauling speeds even on smooth pavements. Various methods have been attempted to tie the stacks in place however, these were generally ineffective in preventing misalignment of the individual bales in the stacks thereby resulting in difficulties in unloading.

The principal objects of the present invention are: to provide a tie down for use on bale wagons to efliciently and effectively stabilize stacks of bales during transport over rough ground or at high speed; to provide such a tie down which substantially eliminates pack misalignment during transportation and increases unloading efiiciency; to provide such a tie down which is easily adjustable to fit various flat bed vehicles; and to provide such a tie down which is rugged, economical to manufacture and simple in operation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a pair of bale pack tie downs installed on a fiat bed vehicle between stacks of bales indicated by dashed lines.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the tie down mounted on the vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a bale pack tie down embodying this invention apart from a vehicle and showing details of construction.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 generally designates an elongate flat bed vehicle for transporting bales 2 placed in stacks 3, 4 and 5 thereon. Bale tie downs 6 embodying this invention are illustrated mounted on the vehicle bed 1 and located between the stacks 3 and 4 and between the stacks 4 and 5.

Bale binder lines 7 and 8, forming portions of the tie downs, are attached to opposite ends 9 and 10 of the vehicle bed 1 and extend longitudinally of bed 1 so as to engage the top surface 11 of the respective stacks 3, 4 and 5.

The tie down 6 includes an elongated frame 12 adapted to be mounted transversely to the bed 1 and transversely to the bale binder lines 7 and 8. The frame 12 includes opposed elongate side members 13 and 14 and in the "ice illustrated structure four spaced apart transverse members or standards 15, 16, 17 and 18 each having aligned bearing portions 19 therein. A pair of elongated rods 20 and 21 are rotatably mounted in the bearing portions 19 so as to extend between each pair of the standards. In the illustrated structure, the rods 20 and 21 each have one end 22 extending outwardly beyond ends 23 and 24 of the frame 12 and adapted to be engaged by one end of a crank 25 having a handle 26 mounted on the other end thereof. The one end of the crank 25 engages the outwardly extending ends 22 of the respective rods 20 and 21 and is adapted to rotate same. Automatic locking ratchets 27 are mounted on the standards adjacent the one end 22 of the rods 20 and 21. Side members 13 and 14 of the frame 12 support the standards and in the illustrated structure a pair of standards and a pair of side members 13 and 14 form one tie down unit 28. Adjustment members 29 are connected to side members 13 and 14 join two tie down units 28 into the frame 12. Adjustment members 29 each have a plurality of spaced bores 30 adapted to align with bores 31 in the side members 13 and 14. Suitable fastening devices such as bolts 32 connect the adjustment members 29 to the side members 15 and 16 of the units 28 to space same apart so that a mounting member 33 engages an edge 34 of the bed 1.

Arms 35 are connected to the adjustment members 29 or to the side members 13 and 14 and are positioned to extend outwardly therefrom and to engage the bed 1 to provide stability for the tie down frame 12.

A pair of tie down ropes 36 and 37 each have one end 38 secured to a respective rotatable rods 20 and 21. The tie down ropes 36 and 37 are positioned to extend transversely of the respective bale binder lines 7 and 8.

A body member 39 is secured to the other end 40 of the tie down ropes 36 and 37 respectively. The body member 39 rotatably supports a wheel 41 having a grooved outer rim 42. The grooved rim 42 is adapted to engage a respective bale binder line 7 or 8.

In operation, the bale pack tie down 6 is attached to opposed edges 34 of the vehicle bed 1 by suitable bolts 43 or ordinary J bolts extending through the mounting member 33. The bales 2 are placed in stacks 3, 4 and 5 which are on each side of the bale pack tie down 6 thereby forming spaces 44 between the stacks. The bale binder lines 7 and 8 are attached to one end 9 of the vehicle bed 1 and extend over the stacks 3, 4 and 5 so as toengage the top surface 11 thereof and are then secured to the opposite end 10 of the vehicle bed 1. The grooved rim 42 is engaged with a respective line 7 or 8. The crank 25 is turned by the handle 26 so as to rotate the respective rods 20 and 21 to lower the wheel 41 thereby depressing the respective lines 7 or 8 into the space 44 between the adjacent stacks. The automatic locking ratchets 27 engage the end 22 to prevent the respective rods 21} and 21 from reversing and thereby maintain the desired tension in the respective line 7 To remove the bales 2, the ratchets 27 are moved from engagement with the one end 22 of the respective rod 20 or 21 thereby allowing the wheel 41 to be raised until the rim 42 can be disengaged from the respective bale binder line 7 or '8. The line '7 or 8 is then removed from the respective stacks 3, 4 and 5 and stacks are removed in the conventional manner. The stacks are maintained in proper alignment by the tie downs and individual bales 2 are prevented from being inserted into adjacent stacks thereby maintaining stack or pack integrity insuring ease in unloading.

While three bale stacks have been shown it is to be understood that many more bales may be included in each stack. Bales 2 also may be alternated between being longitudinal and transverse with the bed 1 to provide various patterns of interlocked stacks.

While bales 2 have been illustrated it is to be understood that various articles, such as boxes, containers and the like may be positioned on the flat bed vehicle 1 and held in place by using the tie downs 6 as previously described.

It is to be understood that while one form of this invention has been illustrated and described, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bale pack tie down for installation on a fiat bed vehicle, said vehicle bed being adapted for transporting a plurality of stacks of bales, said tie down comprising:

(a) a plurality of bale binder lines mounted on said vehicle bed, said lines engaging respective stacks of bales at a top surface thereof;

(b) an elongate adjustable frame adapted to be mounted on said vehicle bed, said frame having opposed ends adapted to be mounted on opposed edges of said vehicle bed, said frame having a plurality of bearing portions mounted therein, said frame spacing adjacent stacks of bales;

(c) a plurality of longitudinally aligned elongated rods each having opposite ends rotatably mounted in said bearing portions in said frame, one end of said rods extending beyond said respective opposed ends of said frame,

(d) a crank having a handle, said crank being adapted to be mounted on said one end of said respective rods,

(e) automatic locking ratchets mounted on said frame and positioned to engage said one end of respective rods,

(f) a plurality of tie down ropes each having one end secured to said respective rods, said tie down ropes being adapted to be positioned transverse to said respective bale binder lines, and

(g) a plurality of body members each rotatably supporting a wheel having a grooved rim, each wheel being adapted to engage a respective line, said body members being respectively secured to the other end of said tie down ropes.

2. An article tie down for use on a vehicle bed adapted to support a pair of adjacent stacks of articles having a plane of separation therebetween, said tie down comprismg:

(a) a line anchored at opposite ends to said bed and extending across the tops of said stacks and transversely to said plane of stack separation, and

(b) line drawing means on said bed and including a line extending upwardly from said bed between said stacks, said upwardly extending line engaging said anchored line at said plane of separation and drawing a portion of said anchored line between said stacks to produce tension in said anchored line,

(c) said line drawing means including a frame, a

pair of standards mounted on said frame and having bearing portions mounted therein, said frame being adapted for mounting on said bed,

(d) a rotatable member extending between said pair of standards and mounted in said bearing portions, rotating means adapted to engage said rotatable member and rotate same,

(e) said upwardly extending line having one end secured to said rotatable member, the other end of said upwardly extending line terminating in a body member having an open side for engaging said anchored line without threading one of said anchored line ends therethrough.

3. An article tie down for use on a vehicle bed adapted to support a pair of adjacent stacks of articles having a plane of separation therebetween, said tie down comprising:

(a) a line anchored at opposite ends to said bed and extending across the tops of said stacks and transversely to said plane of stack separation, and

(b) line drawing means on said bed and including a line extending upwardly from said bed between said stacks, said upwardly extending line engaging said anchored line at said plane of separation and drawing a portion of said anchored line between said stacks to produce tension in said anchored line,

(c) said line drawing means including a frame, a pair of standards mounted on said frame and having bearing portions mounted therein, said frame being adapted for mounting on said bed,

(d) a rotatable member extending between said pair of standards and mounted in said bearing portions, rotating means adapted to engage said rotatable member and rotate same,

(e) said upwardly extending line having one end secured to said rotatable member,

(f) said frame including opposite ends adapted to be mounted on opposite edges of said vehicle bed, and adjustment means whereby said frame is adjustable in length permitting said ends to simultaneously respectively engage said edges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 210,527 12/1878 Harris 280-179 2,738,204 10/1952 Ibey 280179 2,768,004 10/1956 Wagner 280179 FOREIGN PATENTS 475,205 5/ 1929 Germany.

LEO FRIAGLIA, Primary Examiner L. J. PAPERNER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

